Mexico’s Secretariat of Foreign Relations (SRE) revealed that the number of Mexican migrants who died trying to cross into the U.S. illegally has doubled since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January. From January to April 2025, 181 Mexican nationals died along the U.S.-Mexico border, compared to 91 during the same period in 2024.
The SRE also noted that the true number is likely higher. Many migrants remain unidentified because of missing paperwork and a shortage of forensic experts to identify remains found in the harsh, remote terrain, according to Border Report.
Experts link this increase to tougher enforcement policies, including a renewed military presence and expanded physical barriers at the border. Javier Urbano, coordinator of the Migration Affairs Program at Universidad Iberoamericana, told El Sol de México, “These policies are pushing migrants toward more clandestine and remote routes in an attempt to evade the heightened surveillance. In these areas many remains are never found and therefore not counted in official statistics.”
Pedro Rios from the American Friends Service Committee explained to Border Report that smugglers often instruct migrants to discard all personal documents before crossing:
“When people make their way into the United States, oftentimes, people that are smuggling them will tell them to get rid of all your identifying information. So, if they pass away in the desert or in the mountains they have no identifying information; It’s much more difficult for the families to be able to find out what happen to them.”
According to the SRE, most deaths happen along the Arizona-Sonora border, where desert temperatures can soar above 50°C during the day and drop below freezing at night. The leading causes of death include drowning, dehydration, and hypothermia. The SRE also reported a 22% increase over the last three years in the number of women and children among those who have died.
